^^^■^m^m^^^^^^^^^i^c^^^t4'r^-<^^mmm*^^^ 


L  AM    ADDIIEBB  t 

4i 


T  li  E     THUS  T  E  E 


G'l    T.HE 


TMB    PWBS.SG 


^  KAL'lIGH: 

ft 

-;  n  -<  "^ 


AN  ABBMESS 


e; 


^mm  ^mw^wmm^ 


OF    THE 


\pH^0p^^  §^%m 


OF 


NORTH  G^nOUNA, 


TO 


THE  PUBIilC. 


t 

RAXEIGH: 
PmifTED  BY  T.  J.  Lemiy. 

183G. 


■^        X 


..■ST' 


I  HAVE    NO\r    DISPOSED    OF    ALL    MY     PROPERTY    TO    MY    FAMI- 
LY.     There  is  one  thing  more  I  wispi  I  could  give  tkem, 

AND  THAT  IS  THE  CHRISTIAN  ReLIGION.  If  THEY  HAVE  THAT. 
AND  I  HAD  NOT  GIVEN  THEM  ON£  SHILLING,  THEY  WOULD  BE 
lilCHJ  AND  IF  THEY  HAVE  NOT  THAT,  AND  I  HAD  GIVEN  THEM 
ALL    THIS    WORLD,    THEY    WOULD    BE    POOR. 

[The  last  Will  of  Patrick  Eenr^^. 


3 


i\.x  am^iii^sa. 


The  Trustees  of  tlie  Episcopal  School  of  North 
Carolina,  respectfully  solicit  tlic  attention  of  the  friends 
of  Christian  Education  to  the  following  statement  of  the 
principles  upon  wliicii  the  School  is  established;  the  diffi- 
culties it  has  had  to  contend  with;  and  the  grounds  upon 
which  it  notv  lays  claim  to  the  confidence  and  patronage 
of  Episcopalians  and  the  piihlic  generally. 

The  principles  which  goYern  the  Institution  being  es- 
sentially the  same  that  were  set  forth  in  the  * 'Prospectus," 
published  in  the  early  part  of  January,  1834,  we  beg 
leave  to  refer  to  that  document  for  a  specification  of  de- 
tails, which  our  present  limits  will  not  permit  us  to  give. 
We  then  said,  by  way  of  summary,  what  we  now  repeat, 
^'  That  instruction  in  classical  and  other  learning — the  in- 
culcation of  the  principles  and  duties  of  the  christian  re- 
ligion— a  parental  supervision  of  the  moral  habits  and 
manners  of  the  pupils — the  preservation  of  their  health — 
and  a  systematic  discipline  of  the  mind  and  heart,  are  the 
purposes  which  the  Episcopal  School  will,  under  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  endeavor  to  eifect,  for  all  those  who  may  be 
entrusted  to  its  care."  Hence,  it  will  be  perceived,  that 
our  object  has  been  to  provide  a  christian^  seminary, 
where  youth  maybe  trained,  by  a  thorough  education, 
conducted  purely  upon  christian  principles,  under  a  strict 
but  paternal  government,  for  the  duties  and  trials  of  the 
life  that  noiv  is,  and  for  the  blessedness  of  that  which  is 
to  come. 

It  is  not  our  present  purpose  to  dwell  upon  the  import- 
ance of  such  schools,  or  the  obligations  resting  upon  chris- 
tian men  to  support  them.     These  points  ought  not  to  re- 


quire  argument  or  ciMcIdalJoi],  in  a  country  where  e- 
very  public  and  private  blessing  depends,  for  its  continu- 
ance, upon  the  sanctifying  and  conservative  influence  of 
gospel  principles.  Our  duty  now  calls  us  to  other  consi- 
derations. 

As  the  appointed  guardians  of  the  Episcopal  School,  we 
are  not  disposed  to  conceal,  that  it  has  hitherto,  in  some 
degree,  failed  to  meet  the  high  expectations  of  tlie  public; 
and  we  feel  ourselves  called  upon  to  state  the  causes  of 
this,  and  how  far  they  may  be  looked  upon  as  removed. 

The  jirst  disadvantage,  under  which  we  labored,  w as 
the  want  of  suitable  buildings.  This  was  foreseen  and  la- 
mented, but  without  the  means  of  remedy.  We  were  re- 
quired, by  the  Convention  establishing  the  School,  **  to 
open  it  forthwith;^''  and  the  demand  for  it  was  really 
too  great  to  admit  of  delay.  We,  therefore,  pitched  our 
tent  in  an  unbroken  forest;  and  after  the  hurried  erec- 
tion of  a  single  building — having  rented  one  in  the  neigh- 
borhood— we  were  induced  to  commence  tlie  first  session, 
in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  make  the  increase  of  accom- 
modations keep  pace  with  the  increase  of  pupils.  In  this, 
however,  we  soon  found  ourselves  mistaken.  Boys  flock- 
ed in  much  faster  than  had  been  anticipated;  and,  conse- 
quently, our  numbers  became  at  once  too  great  either  for 
the  comfort  of  the  pupils,  or  the  advantageous  application 
of  the  principles  of  our  system;  particularly  as  the  build- 
ings were  at  such  a  distance  from  each  other,  as  wholly 
to  disconnect  the  different  departments  of  the  establish- 
ment: thus  greatly  multiplying  the  difficulties  of  constant 
supervision,  and  weakening  and  perplexing  the  hands  of 
discipline. 

We  are  happy,  however,  in  being  able  to  inform  the 
public,  that  this  evil  no  longer  exists;  that  our  buildings 
are  so  nearly  completed,  as  to  admit  of  the  comfortable 


-y 

« 


iirrangcuieni  and  scUicmeiii  of  i';c  school  on  the  i)lan  of 
n  christian  f aw ily  first  contemplated. 

Besides  this  evil,  consequent  upon  the  want  of  rotm,  it 
should  he  recollected,  that  at  the  opening  of  our  School, 
we  were  wholly  without  experience,  and  almost  Avithout 
precedent,  in  the  application  of  our  cardinal  principles, 
it  is  true,  that  tv.  o  or  three  schools  at  the  North,  estah- 
lished  upon  the  same  basis,  were  in  successful  progress. 
But  it  immediately  hecame  apparent,  that,  owing  to  pecu- 
liarities of  habit  and  situation,  a  course  of  discipline  suit- 
ed to  Northern  boys,  was,  in  many  respects,  inapplicable 
to  boys  at  the  Souths  and  hence,  that  in  this  absence  of 
proper  information,  we  had  no  alternatiye  but  to  feel  our 
xvarj — to  ascertain,  by  experiment,  the  best  modes  of  ap- 
plying a  system,  the  main  features  of  which  are  derived 
from  the  revelation  of  God,  and  fixed  by  the  dictates  of 
his  unchangeable  will.  This  necessity,  it  will  be,  at 
once,  perceived,  must  have  subjected  us  to  much  inconve- 
nience, and  to  occasional  mistakes.  And  had  not  our  Avork 
been  purely  a  benevolent  one.  Ave  might,  perhaps,  have 
shrunk  from  these  difficulties  of  its  prosecution.  But, 
Avith  the  conviction  that  radical  and  destructive  errors 
had  crept  into  our  systems  of  public  education,  that  Avere 
not  to  be  corrected  Avithout  much  labour  and  self-sacri- 
fice, Ave  resolved,  by  thehelp  of  God,  to  persevere,  through 
evil  and  through  good  report',  not  doubting,  for  a  mo- 
ment, that  the  knoAvledge  Ave  thus  acquired  Avould  enable 
us,  at  no  very  distant  period,  to  remedy  the  evils  eonse^ 
quent  upon  inexperience,  and  to  place  the  institutiou  on  that 
high  ground  Avhich,  from  its  principles  and  purposes,  it  so 
well  deserved  to  occupy.  That  period,  we  confidently  be- 
lieve, has  arrived^  and  Ave  noAV  ask  of  the  friends  of  the 
church  and  of  christian  education  that  favorable  consi- 
deration and  patronage,  to  Avhich,  Ave  think,  our  exertions 
are  entitled. 


But  ^\c  feel  lliat  we  f=Voukl  be  unjust  to  ourselves,  and 
to  those  who  have  had  the  immediate  direction  of  the 
School,  did  we  omit  the  notice  of  a  third  evil,  which, 
more  than  any  other,  has  operated  to  our  disadvantage. 
We  refer  to  that  growing  cut  of  the  misjudgmenl  of  our 
friend.s — not  attaching  any  importance  to  the  misrepresen- 
tations of  our  enemies. 

In  the  first  pjaec,  more  vvas  expccledfrom  the  School 
than  Avas  either  promised,  or  could  have  reasonably  been 
looked  for.  We  had  encouraged  the  hope  of  being  able, 
under  the  blessing  of  God,  to  inculcate  good  principles, 
promote  virtuous  habits,  restrain  exorbitant  expenditures, 
and  guard  against  those  corrupting  influences  to  which, 
in  our  schools,  youth  were  too  often  exposed.  But  i>a- 
rents  expected  of  iismiicli  more — expected  that  we  should 
tame  the  unmanageable  and  reform  ilia  vicious;  and  they 
acted  upon  this  expectation.  No  sooner  was  our  School 
opened,  than  numbers  of  boys,  whose  indulgence  had 
been  unrestrained  at  home,  or  whose  vices  and  turbulent 
disposition  had  placed  them  beyond  the  discipline  of  other 
schools,  were  eoniidently  handed  over  to  us.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  our  teachers,  in  entering  on  their  labors, 
instead  of  finding  themselves,  as  they  had  hoped,  in  a 
christian  family,  perceived,  that,  by  this  misjudgmentof 
parents,  they  were  made  the  unwilling  managers  of  a 
^'/lowse  of  correctioit ".^-perceived  that,  with  very  par- 
tial accommodations,  and  no  experience  in  the  applica- 
tion of  our  peculiar  discipline^ — a  discipline  which  address- 
es itself  chiefly  to  the  virtuous  and  honorable  feelings  of 
uncorrupted  youth — they  were  surrounded  by  a  large  num- 
ber of  pupils,  many  of  whom  had  come  to  the  School 
with  bad  habits,  and  bad  dispositions — dispositions  utterly 
averse  to  whatever  restraining  influence  might  be  brought 
to  bear  upon  them. 

The  committee  felt,  with  the  Rector,  that  the  onlyrea- 


soniiblc  iiiul  proper  course  dictated  by  this  difficult  and  un-. 
looked  for  state  of  things,  Avas,  to  protect  tlie  virtuous  and 
well-disposed,  by  cutting  off,  as  provocation  siiould  arise, 
Ihe  vicious  and  refractory^  and  by  making  such  regulations 
as  would  secure  in  future,  the  entrance  of  boys  at  an  ear- 
lier age.^     Thus,  at  the  outset,  were  we  forced  into  a 
course  of  discipline,  as  little  pleasing  to  ourselves,  as  to 
those  upon  whom  we  were  compelled  to  exert  it.    But,  un- 
der the  conviction,  that  in  such  a  course  only,  we  could  de- 
serve the  confidence  ol  parents,  and  the  approbation  of 
those  who  had  committed  to  us  the  guardianship  of  the 
school,  we  hesitated  not  to  go  forward^ — not  in  the  vain 
hope,  however,  of  escaping  censure,  or  of  silencing  oppo- 
sition.    For  we  v,  ell  knew,  that  pupils,  in  other  respects 
orderly,  would,  in  some  cases,  be  likely  so  to  sympathize 
with  the  unwortliy,  as  necessarily  to  become  involved  in 
their  fate.    We  well  knew  that  parents,  who  had  sent  their 
sons  to  us  to  be  cured  of  their  vices,  would  experience  sore 
disappointment  and  chagrin,  upon  their  excision  from  the 
school.     We  well  knewj^the  disposition   of  delinc|,uents, 
smarting  under  salutary  discipline,  to  utter  extravagan- 
ces, and  to  give  wings  to  the  outcry  of  severity  and  cruel- 
ty.    We  wrell  knew,  that  there  is  a  bias  in  the  parental 
breast,  inclining  to  an  undue  confidence  in  such  complaints^ 
and  we  were  not  ignorant  that  the  school  had  enemies, 
who  would  not  be  wanting  in  eagerness  to  sieze  upon,  and 
in*sldll  to  magnify,  any  circumstance  capable  of  a  colour- 
ing prejudicial  to  our  interests.     A  prospect  of  these  evils, 
however,  did  not  deter  us^  as  it  did  not  shake  our  confi- 
dence in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  a  system,  based  upon  the 


*  By  a  resolution  of  the  Board,  no  boy  can  now  be  entered,  who  is  older 
than  14  years.  In  addition,  the  Trustees  would  respectfully  urge  upon  pa- 
rents the  importance  of  entering  their  sons  even  much  earlier.  At  8  years, 
they  may,  in  most  cases,  be  profitably  received. 


truth  of  God,  and  oircrliigso  Di^my  pcciiliai'  ud viiiilages  to 
those  who  had  a  desire,  that  their  ehlldrcii  should  be  His 
obedient  and  prospered  subjects.  Cliiirehmen,  at  least, 
we  were  willing  to  believe,  as  they  had  united  in  establish- 
ing the  Institution  to  supply  their  ovtU  wants,  would  be 
found  united  and  assiduous  in  its  support. 

The  Episcopal  School  has  been  in  operation  a  little  more 
than  two  years.  It  has,  during  that  period,  experienced 
all  the  evils  anticipated,  and  many  of  the  encouragements. 
But  the  Trustees  have  the  happiness  to  believe,  that  it  is 
now  more  worthy  of  the  confidence  and  patronage,  of  the 
friends  of  the  church,  and  of  the  public,  than  it  has  been 
at  any  former  time.  The  buildings  are  commodious^  ex- 
perience has  been  gained,-  the  old  leaven  of  disorder  is  near- 
ly jmrged  out;  our  principles  are  better  understood^  and 
the  school  has  now  at  its  head,  a  Rector,  remarkable  for 
his  mildness,  firmness  and  long-tried  devotion  to  the  inte- 
rests of  education^  while  arrangements  are  in  progress  to 
sustain  him  by  a  competent  number  of  teachei's,  who,  by 
gravity  and  experience,  and  permanent  connexion  with 
the  school,  may  secure  the  respect  of  the  pupils,  and  exert 
upon  them  a  restraining  and  salutary  influence. 

But,  notwitlistaijding  these  our  best  exertions  to  meet 
the  public  wants  and  expectations,  we  are  not  so  ignorant 
of  human  nature,  or  the  state  of  family  education  in  our 
country,  as  to  suppose,  that  we  are  hereafter  to  proceed, 
without  encountering  prejudice  or  complaint.  Against 
these,  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  man  fully  to  provide.  We 
can  only  do  our  duty  and  leave  the  results  to  God.  Still 
we  are  unwilling  to  close  this  address,  without  briefly  urg- 
ing upon  parents  one  or  two  considerations  more,  calcula- 
ted to  aid  them  in  their  judgments  of  the  character  and 
administration  of  the  school. 

It  was  founded  by  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of 
this  State,  for  the  purpoi>c  of  supplying  to  parents  a  truly 


9 

Chvislian  Scliool  for  llieir  so?is,  v.licre,  according  lo  llie 
iloetriaes,  diseipihic  and  worsjiip  of  the  Ciiurcli,  they  may 
receive,  togelhep  with  classical  and  other  learning,  a  tho- 
rough training  iiJtl'c  principles  and  duties  of  the  Christian 
life.  It  should  be  rceoilected,  therefore,  that  every  mem- 
her  of  the  Prolestant  Episcopal  Church  in  this  State^ 
stands  pledged  for  this  high  character  of  the  Institution. 
And,  especially,  that  the  Eoard  of  Trustees,  in  fulfilling 
the  duties  assigned  them,  act  as  mere  agents  of  the  Churh, 
and  cannot  be  supposed  to  be  governed  by  any  other  mo- 
tives than  those  of  duly  carrying  out  her  benevolent  de- 
signs. In  this  it  would  seem  that  the  public  are  furnished 
with  a  sufiicient  guarantee,  that  no  remediable  fault  in  the 
School  will  be  sulfercd  long  to  remain;  and  that  every  en- 
deavor which  ought  to  be  expected  of  Christian  men,  will 
be  made  to  render  the  Iiistitutloil  exactlyivliat  it  prof  ess- 
es to  he: — a  means,  not  of  pecuniary  proiit  to  any  one,  but 
of  advancing  true  religion,  and  diiTiising  useful  knowledge, 
on  the  only  sound  principle — that  ^'hb  that  w  axketh 

UPRIGHTLY,  WAIKETH  SUREIY." 

In  conclusion,  we  entreat  parents  to  bear  in  mind,  that 
strict  discipline  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  essential  fea- 
tures in  a  Christian  family:  and  that  in  every  case,  where 
the  proper  subordination  of  the  child  cannot  be  secured 
by  motives  addressed  to  the  mind  and  heart,  it  becomes  the 
imperious  duty  of  the  parent  to  resort  to  punishment — 
more  or  less  severe  according  to  the  dispositions  of  the  of- 
fender. We  are  aware  that  this  view  of  parental  discip- 
line, symbolizes  but  badly  with  those  notions  which  attach 
to  it  no  other  idea  than  indulgence.  But  we  are  unwilling 
to  believe,  that  so  little  regard  to  the  v/elfare  of  their  chil- 
dren is  felt,  by  the  parents  of  our  country,  as  such  notions 
would  indicate;  while  we  assure  them,  that  no  act  of  dis- 
cipline in  the  I'  p^copal  School  will  be  resorted  to,  which, 


10 

ifi  the  experienced  judgment  of  (lie  amiable  Txnd  eor.seien- 
tioiis  Rector,  is  not  clearly  essential  lo  ihehesi  j^ood  of  Ihc 
jyupils,  and  to  the  true,  the  legitimate  ends  of  Christian 
Education. 

Levi  Sillimox  Ives,  Chr^n. 

Simmons  J.  Bakeh, 

Jakvis  B.  Buxton, 

Duncan  Cameron, 

T.  P.  Devereux, 

George  W.  Freeman,  I  ^ 

William  M.  Green, 

William  H.  Haywood,  Jr., 

Frederic  J.  Hill, 

Richard  Hines, 

George  E.  Spruill, 

Edward  L.  Winslow, 

THe  attetition  of  parents  is  respectfillly  cfilled  to  the  follow- 
ing particulars: 

Expenses:  The  annual  charge  for  board  and  tuition  to  be  paid 
in  advance,  semi-annually,  g200  00 

Mattrass  and  bedding,  if  purchased  at  the  school,      16  50 

Towels  and  basin,  if  purchased  at  the  school,  about,      2  00 

Each  pupil  is  required  to  have  a  Bible  and  Prayer  Book. 

No  other  expenses  incurred,  except  for  clothing,  books  and 
pocket  money.  It  is  desired  that  parents  ivould  send  their  sons 
fully  provided  with  clothing;  or  communicate  to  the  Rector  spe- 
cial directions  for  its  purchase. 

All  funds  are  to  be  deposited  on  the  entrance  of  the  pupil,  in 
the  hands  of  the  Rector,  to  be  drawn  out  only  at  his  discretion. 

No  pupil  is  allowed,  on  pain  of  dismission,  to  have  an  account 
of  any  description,  at  any  store  or  shop  in  town. 

The  next  Session  of  the  School  will  begin  on  Wednesday, 
the  18th  of  January,  1837. 

Persons  who  may  be  desirous  of  sending  their  children  to  the 
School,  would  confer  a  favor  by  giving  early  notice  of  their  in- 
tention to  the  Rev.  Adam  Empie,  D.  D.,  Rector  of  the  School, 
or  to  E,   B.  Freeman,  Esq.,  Treasurer  and  Secretar}^  Raleigh. 


